


The Five Thousand Year Old Man

by ailes_de_cire



Category: Highlander: The Series, Stargate SG-1
Genre: BAMF!Methos, Before Time Forgot, Foot-Meet-Mouth Disease, Gen, Mission Make You Think, Motivations, Only SG1 if you squint, Really Old Guy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-27
Updated: 2013-03-27
Packaged: 2017-12-06 16:34:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/737790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ailes_de_cire/pseuds/ailes_de_cire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Methos, Amanda and Duncan meet up at Joe's to recover after an encounter with the Stargate program. The resulting conversation rips up and spits on some of the world's supposed Facts Set In Stone...</p><p>aka. The Watchers Are Not Always Right (Especially when it comes to Methos)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Five Thousand Year Old Man

**Author's Note:**

> disclaimer: while the work of fanfiction is mine (from ffnet chirpychii) I do not own the original, proper work, or would ever try to.

It was a time past midnight that witnessed the gathering of the three Immortals Duncan MacLeod, Amanda Darieux and Adam Pierson, the latter also known to a select few to be Methos, the Oldest Immortal.

They were sequestered around an out-of-the-way table at Joe's Bar, each nursing proper alcoholic drinks while lost to their individual musings.

The Immortals Three managed to both display a quintessential belonging to their surroundings, while an undercurrent of distance suggested to other customers that they were best left to their own devices. 

After enough time had passed that Joe had sent home his staff and was currently in the back room quite decisively doing what amounted to a farce of 'something important' that allowed them the illusion of complete privacy, the immortals seemed to draw into themselves. It was time to Discuss what had happened. At least one of their number had spent much of the early hours of the morning devising avenues of tactical retreat from the venue unlikely to get him shot down and dragged back to answer the questions that were pressing down from all sides. Questions, he found, often led to answers that were best left to time. 

Alas, the time for retreat had passed, and only action would now be accepted.

**+++**

Staring unseeingly down into his glass, Duncan MacLeod somberly gave voice to his own line of thought. "To think that such beings live among the stars... I c'n hardly believe it."

"Get used to it Mac, they've been there your whole life." Methos asserted, snorting at the young (in this circle) Immortal's remaining incredulity. "You've seen them, after all – and killed it, never forget that." A retreat into sarcasm was one of the only options that remained. 

Amanda glanced nervously from one to the other, worried about the possibility of another fight between the two; Duncan hadn't exactly reacted well to the news of Methos' knowledge – and the denial of such for an extended period of time – and was likely still feeling somewhat betrayed by his friend.

The silence charged the atmosphere with tension for a long minute, the two male Immortals locking gazes in a battle of wills and conflicting thought processes – one the Champion, the other the Survivor. Duncan MacLeod's four hundred years of experience, of tenacity and force of will in the most dire of situations against the Five Thousand Year Old Man, who conceded the victory more through his own (comparatively recent) hatred of conflict than anything else.

"There is one thing that I need cleared up though." Duncan muttered, having also lowered his eyes out of shame of seeking conflict with his friend. He should know Methos' nature by now.

Amanda sank back into her seat with a sigh, fairly content in the knowledge that the two male egos were at least putting another clash on hold for the night – after all, they had gathered to lick their wounds and process all that had happened in Colorado Springs, not to Challenge each other over the Game.

Methos, sprawled languidly over the straight-backed wooden chair, tilted his head and raised a questioning eyebrow at the Highlander.

Duncan elaborated, "The goa'uld were first kicked off Earth ten thousand years ago, yes?" MacLeod's dark eyes were pensive, his dark features drawn into a furrow as he stared down long-nosed man across from him.

Methos' features were carefully expressionless as he observed MacLeod. "Yes, that's right."

"And yet you were there when it happened?" Duncan stared at his friend challengingly, trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on under the surface of his blank expression.

"I am five thousand years old, MacLeod." Methos answered, and his voice brooked no argument while his natural cadence caressed the words, filling them with truth.

"But-"

"I am five thousand years old, MacLeod – does 'Methos, the Five Thousand year old Immortal' ring any bells for you?" His voice whipped across the table, carefully modulated so as to not carry to Joe in his back room any more clearly than he suspected the crafty mortal could hear from the air ducts in the bar.

"Methos-"

"Stop, Duncan MacLeod." Methos demanded, his voice deepening into that dangerous tone that evoked things such as Death of the Four Horsemen. Now-golden eyes glared at the man across the table for a second, bearing the promise and memory of his vicious and bloody past before they slid closed, the man visibly reigning back his more cruel tendencies. Without saying a word, he vacated his chair and removed the trench coat from the back of it, slipping into it and simply walking to the door and out without uttering another word.

Duncan stared at the closed door in shock, the fact that the man's glass remained half-full not escaping him. Eventually, he turned back to Amanda, who remained shockingly unsurprised at the other Immortal's abrupt exit.

"Amanda, what's...?"

The woman's eyes locked onto Duncan's, seeming to be thinking and managing to project more understanding than he had ever seen of the flighty, often manipulative while at the same time lovable Amanda.

She was silent for a long moment, just watching and assessing him calmly, and Duncan was much too concerned with reeling from the oldest Immortal's abrupt exit to be demanding prompt answers.

"You know, Rebecca introduced me to Methos." She started after the pause, now staring down pointedly at the mentioned Immortal's glass of whiskey, an unusual choice for the old man.

"What?" Duncan demanded, shocked. "Didn't I introduce...?"

Amanda shot him a reproving look, and he quieted. "Yes, Rebecca was the first to introduce me to Methos, the oldest immortal. Can you guess how she introduced him to me?"

Duncan furrowed his brows, remaining silent but looking questioningly at his companion and sometimes bed partner.

Amanda looked into his eyes and quoted, her voice mimicking that of her past teacher's; "This is Methos, the Five Thousand Year Old Man."

Duncan's jaw dropped as he considered the implications of her statement.

Amanda slipped off her chair and gathered up her own coat, still matching the younger Immortal's gaze. As she turned to leave, she softly said; "Sometime, you'll learn that a Title isn't always announced so freely, Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod."

And with that, she gracefully exited the bar, leaving the last gaping Immortal with a heavy mind, and the tab.

**Author's Note:**

> I've updated it quite a bit since I looked at it and thought 'I can do better'. It's not much more than superficially changed, but I like this more. Thanks for reading.
> 
> Oh and yes, I've heard that Stargate says the goa'uld were kicked off earth about five thousand years ago, but this is a fanfic. Honestly, if your limitus for suspension of disbelief hits the glass ceiling right there, I don't know what I can say. :)
> 
>  
> 
> 23/5 update: Okay, just adding this in: I have (finally) both gotten a tumblr and very recently actually started to use it. Follow me, badger me for updates, give me ideas, whatever - catch up to me at http://ailes-de-cire.tumblr.com/ --- I'll be looking forward to hearing from people :)


End file.
